Have you seen Jack Gyllenhaal’s End of Watch? I watched it the other day and liked it a lot. It is a decent movie for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

I liked it for the balance it tries to achieve between cinematic freedom and reality. Most police movies are over the top with too much gore and gun violence, nail biting suspense or the larger than life portrayal of the central characters. End of watch has no such nonsense.

It simply and deliberately portrays the trials and tribunals of beat policemen. The movie takes us behind the scenes to the locker-rooms of cops and gives us a glimpse into their daily lives. Their personal battles, perspectives and need to seek closure in cases that are sometimes beyond their jurisdiction.

Excellent performances by Jack and Michael Penna. I loved the way they took jabs at each others idiosyncrasies. I liked the subtle portrayal of cultural differences between the Caucasian Jack and Mexican-American Michael when they speak about their families and outlook towards marriage.

Overall,If you are looking for a movie that is not a documentary and not too cinematic, End of the Watch will easily fit the bill.